Fur-covered shoe vamp



Dec 7, 1948. I NAIDQR 2,455,436

FUR-COVERED SHOE VAMP Filed June 28. 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR jeor e jl Zzidor 2v t AT'QRNEY? Dec. 7, 1948.

FUR-COVERED SHOE VAMP Filed June 28, 1947 Z'Sheets-Sheet 2 "Inla r.

INVENTOR 980776 vaz d'ol' BY G. NAIDOR 2,455,436

Patented Dec. 7, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FUR-COVERED SHOE VAMP George Naidor, Gouldsboro, Pa. Application June 28, 1947, Serial No. 757,849

My present invention relates generally to footwear and has particular reference to an improved vamp construction for slippers and the like.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a shoe in which the vamp presents an exterior surface composed of fur. This is desirable in slippers and other types of footwear for indoor use. The fur commonly employed, and intended to be employed in carrying out the present invention, is of the long-haired variety derived from the pelt of a rabbit or similar small animals.

In making articles of this character, it has heretofore been the practice to form the vamp of an integral piece of fur cut to the shape desired and assembled with the sole in conventional manner. Because of the odd shape which a shoe vamp embodies, however, it has usually been impossible to cut more than one or two vamp pieces from a single pelt. As a result, footwear of this character has been relatively expensive.

It is an object of the present invention to produce an article of footwear in which the vamp is the same, in appearance and feel, as that which is formed of a single piece of fur, which is in a number of respects of greater comfort and enhanced appearance, and which may be constructed in an unusually economical manner. These desirable results are achieved by a unique association of two separate pieces of fur specially shaped and assembled in a novel manner in operative relation to eachother and to the other parts of the shoe.

The features of the invention are applicable to slippers and similar articles of footwear of varying styles. For this reason, it is to be understood that the particular construction hereinafter described is purely illustrative.

I achieve the foregoing objects and advantages, and such other objects and advantages as may hereinafter appear or be pointed out, in the manner illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan-view of a pelt from which one of the pieces of the present improved construction is cut;

Figure 2 is a similar view of a second pelt from which another of the pieces of the present construction is out;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the initial assembly of elements entering into the construction of one illustrative article of footwear;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figures 5 and 6 are perspective views of certain further steps in the manfacturing procedure;

1 Claim. (CI. 36-45) out 25 at the front.

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional View taken substantially along the line 1-1 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the finished article of footwear;

Figure 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 9-9 of Figure 8; and

Figure 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line ill-40 of Figure 8. The article of footwear herein chosen for illustration (Figure 8) is of the type which includes a vamp 59, a flat heel seat 20 devoid of upstanding quarter, a heel 2| merging with a sole portion 22, and a strap 23 extending rearwardly from the vamp to encircle the foot of the wearer.

In forming the vamp for this shoe or slipper, I first form a blank 24 (Figure 3) having the desired vamp shape, this blank being composed of any suitable soft and flexible sheet material, such as a woven or felted fabric or the like. This blank serves as a base for the vamp construction, and is preferably provided with the concave cut- The side edges 26 diverge rearwardly along slightly convex lines, and the blank is provided with a transverse rear edge 21.

A piece of fur 28, of crescent shape, is then secured to the base 24 with the points of the crescent directed rearwardly. I have illustratively shown how this piece may be secured to the base 24 by the simple expedient of an arcuate line of stitching 29 arranged substantially along the longitudinal axis of the crescent. The crescent-shaped piece has a forward convex edge 30 and a rearward concave edge 3i, and it is to be observed that the edge 3| is spaced forwardly from the rear edge 21 of the base 24. This crescent-shaped piece of fur is of such size and is so located on the base 24 that the fur hairs will conceal the forward and side edge portions of the base 24 when the shoe is assembled.

Another step in the preliminary association of parts lies in securing a second piece of fur 32, in'the form of an elongated strip, preferably substantially rectangular, to the rear edge 21 of the base 24. This is preferably achieved in the manner shown most clearly in Figure 4. The fur side of one longitudinal edge 33 of the strip 32 is stitched or otherwise secured to the underside of the transverse rear edge 21 of the base 24. I have illustratively shown the employment of a line of stitching 34.

During this preliminary assembly of the parts, the ends of the strap 23 may be conveniently engaged by the stitches 34, as indicated most clearly in Figure 3. It is not essentiaLhowever, that the shoe embody a strap of this character, as will readily be understood by those skilled in the art.

This preliminary assembly may then be associated with a sole in any convenient or Well-known manner. In the shoe illustrated herein, for illustrative purposes, the side edges 26 of the base 24 are stitched dQwn,-,as -at 35 .(Eignre-;5) ,-to,-an, insole memberg3'i. During; this procedure, a: plate" 1 form-covering strip of fabric 31 may be engaged by the stitches 35, in the manner shown, so that; by turning this strip 31 down and around the margin of the insole 36, as indicated in*FigureJi;- an attractive marginal edge is impartedatostheq shoe in the sole region. The shoe may then be completed by securing a heel to the rear portion: of the insole 36, and finally adhesively applying an outer sole 38. The heel seat portion ofthe insole 36, as Well as the heel itself, may be 90 covered with; suitable fabricor other material priortothe application of-the outer-sole? It will be observed that the fur strip 32, lIrtljle finished construction; extends forwardly to-oyerlie the rear part of the vamp base-2'4. The-up 155 Ward arching of the rearedge' of--thevamp-may initself be sufiicient to-hold-thisstripin-position; but glue or other adhesive may be used to secure theiskin'side-of-the strip 32';- in its 'central reg ion, to the rearpart of the base-4'; i. e:-, the'part-which is uncovered by the crescent-shaped fur piece-2B5 Itwill 1 also-- be observed: that the strip 32 is- -of sucl1=pre-selectedwidth that -itsfur-ha-irs merge throughout its transverse extent with the hairsproiectingirom' the crescent-shaped piece- 28: As; 35 aresult; the-finished vamp presents the appear ance of a-single'piece of'fu-r; nodine'o-fidema-rcationr-b'etweenthe two fur-pieces being-discernible. Moreover; the rear transverse-edge-of the vamp; presents a fur-exterior which'improves' the ap- 40' peara-nce'andaddsto-the comfort eithe -wearer:

It'will' also be noted-thatthe' fur' hairs of the crescent sha-pedpiece,- at= the-frontof -theshoe; concealtheexistance of the-toe-openingyiormed by the cut-out 25. This is a desirable resultaclfiem 4 able by the-presentimproved' assembly of parts, sincethe toe opening adds to-the'-com-fort*of the-' wearer-while'its presence in a-slipper like article is not usually-desirable for style purposes:

The'comforvof the wearerds further enhanced"? byg the-= fact that the -underor insidesurface-=-of th-e va-mp is composed-of" the relatively: softmaterial of the base-2'4";

Of primaryimportance is the economy/which- I am. enabled-to efie'ct, so far asthe fur piecesware concerneds- In this connection; attentionis new directed--to Figures l i and=2 In Figure 1* awpel-t 39isindicatedi and the-spaeeclparalleltra verse: lines 1 windicatethe lines along-which thispelt'may be cut to provide a-m-ultiplicity--ofelongated'stri-ps: such as-that designatedat 32 in the= other figures:- Needlessaxr say,- each -iof theastrips: mayebesubsequently cut=to any suitable or desired length; It will be-noted that-'as'many as elevem suchstripsmay beiformedtfrom asinglepelt; It

is to be understood, however, that these strips are not necessarily provided with accurately straight longitudinal edges, as shown, but that other shapes may be employed, if desired, without altering the basically elongated nature of these strips.

In Figure 2 I have indicated a similar pelt 4| from which a multiplicity of crescent-shaped pieces (such as that shown at 28 in the other figuresivmay bercutn, A longitudinallinefl indicstesithea linetalongwhichithe pelt .may 'belongitudinally cut to form two halves; and each half may then be out along arcuate lines 43, and along marginal longitudinal lines 44, to form a series of crescent sh'aped pieces. As indicated, as many assfourteensuch pieces may be cut from a single pelt;

The=important2 thing to observe is that the concave .and convex edges of each crescentshaped*piece (i. e., the edges 30 and 3| of the crescenteshaped piece28-shown in Figure 3) have ther-same radiusof 'curvaturez' It is this contour whichtpermits-the' piece-28*, forexample, to constituteionerofa;nestedseries such 'asthose' shown in Figure-2:

Ingeneral, it-- will be understood-'- that those skilled-iinthe art: may irr a number of respects modify" the details' herein; described and illustrated% without necessarily" departing from the spirit and scope -of* the invention as expressed inthe appended claim:

Having-thus-descriocdmy-invention and-illustrated-its--use;-what I'claim asnewand-desire to secure:by *LettersyPatent is.

A fur-coveredshoe vamp-comprising a baseof vamp'shapehaving' a transverse rear-- edge, a crescent-gshapedpiece of-fur;-secured-tosaidbasewith itsconcaveedge; facing rearwardlyand spaced appreciably forward-ly'of' said transverse rear-edge; the fur: hairs concealing the -irontand side edges-cf saidtbase," and-a complementary" substantially straight i strip -of fun-having the iur Sideof one longitudinal edge secured to the underside of said i transverserea-redge substantially, throughout-thedength thereof,- said" strip extending forwardly to-- overlap atleast thep0inted endregionsof said crescent-shaped piece and -'tooverlie;-the* rear part oi said-base, the 'furhairs of saidfur piece and fur-'strip 'mergingavith each-other-transversely aerossthe vamp.

' GEORGE*'N'AIDOR:-

REFERENCES CITED:

The following references, are, of record in the file, of thispatent;

UNITEDJSTA I'ESQPATENTS Number Name Date 13417-36 Crowell Jan. 14; 1873 2,128,204 Dunbar" Aug.;2 3;' 1938] 2;226;110-' Bass; Dec:24;1940" 2,432,360 Weisberg;- Dec: 9; 1947= EQREIGN -BATENTS Number Country- Date 735,084 France New 3',-- 1932* 

